REG: Those Nats have bled us white, the bastards. They’ve taken everything we had, and not just from us, from our fathers, and from our fathers’ fathers.

LORETTA: And from our fathers’ fathers’ fathers.

REG: Yeah.

LORETTA: And from our fathers’ fathers’ fathers’ fathers.

REG: Yeah. All right, Stan. Don’t labour the point. And what have they ever given us in return?!

XERXES: Council Tax frozen for seven years?

REG: What?

XERXES: Council Tax frozen for seven years.

REG: Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that’s true. Yeah.

COMMANDO #3: And cutting the business rates.

LORETTA: Oh, yeah, the business rates, Reg.

REG: Yeah. All right. I’ll grant you the council tax freeze and cutting the business rate are two things that the Nats have done.

MATTHIAS: And the free university tuition.

REG: Well, yeah. Obviously the free university tuition. I mean, university education goes without saying, doesn’t it? But apart from the business rates, the council tax freeze, and free university tuition–

LORETTA: 1000 more police officers and recorded crime at a 39 year low.

FRANCIS: Yeah, they certainly know how to keep order. Let’s face it. They’re the only ones who could in a place like this.

COMMANDOS: Hehh, heh. Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.

REG: All right, but apart from the council tax freeze, free prescriptions, free university tuition, business rates, public order, help with the bedroom tax, green energy, foreign aid and public health, what have the Nats ever done for us?

XERXES: Given us the opportunity to reinstate our country as an independent nation.

Every parent knows the value of building self esteem in a child; it creates self belief, encourages communication and by extension investigation and prepares that child for a world which is wonderful but often seems harsh and unfair. The armour of self confidence allows hope and ambition to flourish, lack of it can create an insular personality, fearful, full of self loathing and doubt.
Scots as individuals generally don’t lack confidence but as a nation we are the kid who was always told they’re a bit, well, crap.
We are drunken belligerent subsidy junkies, we are racist English hating bigots, we are parochial tartan-clad
bumpkins who can’t be trusted to hold the national bank card. We are morose and maudlin. We accuse ambitious Scots of rising above their station. We make good soldiers but poor officers. We don’t have the intelligence, organisation or skill to operate without the benevolent hand of our guardian to lead the way.

Unfortunately most of us have believed some, if not all of this, at some point in our lives so it should come as no surprise that many in Scotland have not embraced the risky, danger filled path of independence.

This negative view that many of our countrymen hold of their nation has not occurred by accident, it has been a calculated and cynical design by the British ruling classes to maintain a subservient and compliant Scottish population and it has been until now an overwhelming success.
A nations history is important in engendering a sense of self, it can offer clues to who we are and what we might become. I was never taught about the Darien Scheme and the Act of Union at school. The Jacobite Rebellion, the role of Scots in the slave trade; zilch. I was taught about Corn Laws, Rotten Boroughs and the Industrial Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the Middle Ages all from an English/British perspective but nothing of my own countries past. It was as if we had no history, or at least none worth investigating, none of any value.
Throughout the decades the portrayal of Scots by the media has been predictably negative. We are the Jocks ( I read recently, possibly Derek Bateman that if we are supposed to hate the English so much, why don’t we have a nickname for them? We are quite imaginative when it comes abusive terms but I’ve racked my brains and can’t think of any bar the mild ‘sassenach’). It seemed for several years during the 1980s that every London drunk on TV was Scottish. We know that is not who we are but we care that others might think so and that has a subtle influence on how we see ourselves.
The secrecy of the McCrone Report, the destruction of our mining, steel and shipbuilding industries and the vilification by Labour of the SNP, the only political party solely concerned with Scotland’s welfare have all contributed to the belief that we have nothing and we are worth nothing as a nation.

Until now.

Something strange has happened in this debate; people in Scotland have decided collectively and en masse that we are worth something and ironically it may be the No campaign and the British establishment that have inspired that self belief. Over the top estimates of costs, denial of currency, denial of EU and NATO membership, threats to security, pensions and mortgages have all inspired people to ask the most important question of all: why are they trying so hard to keep us?.
This has been answered by every Yes organisation, website and blogger; we are a wealthy nation, more than capable of looking after our own affairs and the British establishment stand to lose more than simply a piece of land, they lose status, prestige and cold hard cash. Healthy finances do not buy happiness but they do provide a degree of stability that breeds confidence in the future and confidence is the cornerstone of this debate.
My first indication that a Scottish government could provide a country that I wanted to live in was the freeing on compassionate grounds of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. That took guts and a morality which was directly opposed to Westminsters US-led revenge doctrine. To make a decision which they knew would be widely condemned took courage and confidence and they have continued through policy and attitude to demonstrate to the Scottish people what is possible.

Every time I visit an independence thread on Facebook, Wings, Bella and countless other sources I see a nation that is waking to the possibilities. I don’t recognise this Scotland but it is a welcome sight. Positivity and hope abound as information is sought, found and shared. Many will not be swayed, the insidious nature of their conditioning is hard to counter but confidence is bred by strength in numbers, by visibility, by strong role models and above all by information.

So spread the word and show your colours; others need to see that they are not alone and that their belief is your belief.

Following recent bad publicity and the increase in special interest Yes groups, BetterTogether have created a number of ‘grassroots’ organisations to mirror the feel good factor engendered by pro independence campaigners.

I hadn’t intended to write another post about Labour but the events of the past twenty four hours are hard to ignore.

Kathy Wiles, prospective Labour candidate for Angus, has resigned after posting a tweet comparing children photographed at the BBC bias protest on Sunday with Hitler Youth.

I was at Pacific Quay; there was definitely no goose-stepping.
This was no staged corporate show with timed performances and polished production, this was a genuine grassroots gathering of ordinary people from all over the country discontent with the partisan behaviour of our state broadcaster. It was well attended, peaceful, good natured and a credit to organiser Moira Williams.

Inevitably Ms Wiles tweeting history came to light on a number of websites and revealed a character who is not averse to offensive comments. She has compared the SNP to Nazis and SNP supporters to benefit scroungers. She has suggested that she may ‘lose her nationality’ because foreign citizens in Scotland can vote in September. Scottish politics is well rid of this vile character though it would be unsurprising to see her surface in another role.
Commentators have rightly asked questions of Labours candidate selection process but there are other concerns highlighted by this issue which the party would do well to address.

Firstly, Ms Wiles beliefs clearly do not concur with what most people would regard as traditional Labour ideals, notwithstanding their hatred of all things SNP. Defence of the poor and vulnerable used to be the mainstay of their values. Not any more it seems. The fact that this lady can find a place in the modern Labour Party is only slightly more worrying than the fact that they’d welcome her in.
It suggests two things; that the party have become so far removed from its origins as to be unrecognisable and that people seeking political office in the UK simply choose any party which they feel will advance their career. Conviction politicians are few and far between and have been replaced by self serving careerists for whom the public, the very people they are meant to represent, are dismissed as unworthy of respect.

Secondly, why did she feel this was acceptable behaviour? The answer lies in the vitriolic rhetoric of the No campaign and in the malicious hyperbole of Labour MPs in particular.
Johann Lamont describing the desire for independence as a ‘virus’, Alastair Darlings blood and soil gaffe and Ian Davidsons ‘bayoneting the wounded’ comment demonstrate that such attitudes come from the top, not some wild eyed online fanatic. The increase in abusive and offensive comments from No supporters online are simply a reflection of the tone set by their leaders.

It’s difficult to believe that they haven’t considered the consequences of such actions. Yes supporters don’t ask each other which party they vote for so an attack on any pro independence group is seen as an attack on all. The most recent reliable poll showed Yes at 48%, almost 2 million people eligible to vote. Can a struggling Labour Party really afford to alienate 2 million voters in Scotland? No party can.

We could be witnessing the death throes of Labour in Scotland unless there is a dramatic change of strategy.

September 19th 2014. A TV screen shows a reporter interviewing David Cameron on Downing Street. The reporter wears a red, white and blue dress with a badge stating ‘BBC says Naw’. Cameron winks at someone off camera and turns to face the reporter.
“Prime Minister, you must be overjoyed that Scotland has voted to stay in the union”
DC – “Well of course Sally it’s wonderful that the Scottish people have chosen to remain in our family of nations. I like to think they voted with their hearts above all else”

“Bollocks!”

The camera pulls back from the screen to reveal the interior of Labour Party headquarters. Gordon Brown, Ed Miliband, Johann Lamont and George Osborne sit together on a sofa facing the screen. Alastair Darling sits on a chair beside them.

AD – “There’s no need for that language Gordon”

Brown launches a sheaf of Better Together leaflets at Alastairs head

GB – “F**k off Darling, that poncy tw*t is taking all the credit!”
JL – “He’s right by the way so he is. We did that, no him, alicsammin”
EM – “Come on now guys, it was a team effort! We done it for team UK!”
GB – “Shut it bacon boy, so why have half the Tory party been interviewed and not us!”

BBC – “You’ve been praised for running a very shrewd campaign, using well known faces from the Labour Party to appeal to Scottish voters. At times your strategy appeared to be failing with the Yes campaign gaining ground in the run up to the referendum”

DC – “Sally it was important to show the people of Scotland that we cared and wanted them to stay in the bosom of the union; cross party unity played a factor of course but the valuable information provided by the government proved the vital factor in the end”

Brown fires a teacup at the TV

GB – ” What a c**t. Have you seen the latest popularity ratings? We’re lower than an Irish immigrant on the titanic!”
AD – “I’m sure with some hard work and the support of our loyal, er, supporters we’ll turn it around before the election next year”
GB – “Not with you on board ya f*d, Salmond wiped his fat, hairy a**e with you in that debate!”
JL – “ooh ah hate him alicsammin so ah dae alicsammin”
EM – “Come on now Gordon you know that wasn’t a fair debate. They kept asking questions. And they wanted answers!”

BBC – “Rumours suggest you plan to ensure such a situation does not occur again; is there any truth to this?”
DM – “Look, Sally, we want to create a society where everyone is equal and has the same opportunities. Scotland is a wonderful country, the people of Scotland have chosen to remain in our glorious union and perhaps it’s time to consider wether having free education, free prescriptions and a separate NHS in one part of these islands and not in the rest is really in the best interests of everyone”
BBC – “So, you intend to remove powers from the Scottish Government?”
DC – “Hehe Sally these things are very much in the pre discussion phase. Workable plans may take years, maybe months”

JL – “ooh alicsammins no gonny like that so he isny alicsammin”
AD – Well it’s about time, we’re all British after all”
EM – “Hear hear, well said that man”
GB -“Hehe the Nats are gonny take it right up the jacksy, once they start making cuts they’re finished!”

BBC – “Finally Prime Minister, you’ve retained Scotland, the Liberal Democrats ratings are at an all time low due to failure to keep election promises and George Osbornes high visibility as an austerity chancellor, Labour have lost much of their support in Scotland and the rest of the UK because of their involvement with Better Together and their eagerness to adopt Tory policy and it looks as if the SNP may be in for a tough time ahead. It must be a good time to be a Conservative Prime Minister?”

Stares at camera and smiles

“I’m feeling pretty good right now Sally”

GB – “B*****d! If I didn’t know any better I’d say this is what the sod planned for all along!”
AD – “Oh come now Gordon you don’t really thi….”

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

Joseph Goebbels knew a thing or two about propoganda. His office successfully duped the majority of the German people into believing that Nazi fascism was the right and destined course for the country and his control over information was absolute.
Its said that if you bring up the Nazis in a political argument you’ve automatically lost the argument but there is a correlation between then and now regarding flow of information; the State is in charge and the State will tell you what they want you to believe.

During the Second World War the BBC and print media done their duty for Britain by providing propaganda for the masses and misinformation for the enemy. It was a concerted effort to combat the threat from across the channel and everyone knew it was a necessary part of preserving our liberty and way of life.
Scottish independence simply can’t be compared to those monumental events in history but the threat perceived by those in power, their authority and their international status is such that the machine has been oiled up and the establishment have instigated a full-on national emergency.

Of all the daily newspapers in Scotland only one openly supports independence (Sunday Herald).
Of all the daily national newspapers in Scotland none are owned in Scotland.

To paraphrase Mr Kitchener, “Your Country Needs You (Mr Editor)”

The eagerness with which the mainstream media in Scotland tow the UK government line makes Pravda look like a free lovin’ hippy newsletter. The lack of impartiality, journalistic integrity and investigation has relegated our print media in the eyes of many to no more than comics and the state broadcaster to the role of party stooge. The hypocrisy of certain titles who print headlines in Scotland predicting calamities after independence yet change the story in English editions to illustrate the perilous state of this union, as if the internet and social media don’t exist.
I’m talking to you, Daily Express.

Examples of this collusion are numerous. When the Chinese premier Li Keqiang seemed to favour a no vote, no one across the UK media mentioned Chinas fear of an independent Taiwan and how his statement would play in that part of the world. Political editors are well aware of such things yet no one attempted to dissect his reasoning.
When Alastair Darling agreed in an interview with the New Statesman that the SNP style of nationalism was ‘blood and soil’ nationalism he should have been pilloried and vilified. Blood and soil or Blut und Boden was a key philosophy in the rise of the nazis. He was comparing a democratic party undertaking a democratic process with fascists. He should have lost his job but the media barely registered it as news.
When the government produced a paper which demonstrated how costly it would be to set up an independent Scotland, the author of the report, Patrick Dunleavy, went public to distance himself from the figures. He wrote on Twitter (NYSE: TWTR – news) : “UK Treasury press release on Scotland costs of government badly misrepresents LSE research.”
“Appears to take minimum Whitehall reorganisation cost of £15m and multiply by 180 agencies to get £2.7bn. Overstates maybe 12 times?”
Yet the following day Danny Alexander appeared on the BBC to launch the paper and went unchallenged on the controversy.

There are many, many more examples. The problem is, it works and they know it works so they won’t stop.
People believe what they read and hear because they expect and want the people in charge to be trustworthy.

Things are different now though. We have the internet. We have access to information freely across the globe.
If Scotland votes Yes a major part of that success will be down to ordinary people on social media seeking and finding an alternative to Britnat propaganda and passing the message along.

Make no mistake, Yes are up against a powerful machine.
The UK establishment are on a war-footing and Scotland is the enemy. They will stop at nothing to maintain their status and control of resources. They dont want us to be informed, they want us to believe everything they tell us.